CV Science

Joel Drevet PhD Molecular & Cell biology, Immunology

Course and current status

1989 : PhD Molecular & Cell Biology, Immunology - Lyon1, France.

1990-1993 : Teaching & Research Associate, The University of Calgary, Ab, Canada.

1993-1995 : Assistant-Professor, Université Blaise Pascal Clermont2, Clermont-Ferrand, France

1995-1998 : Associate Professor, Université Blaise Pascal Clermont2, Clermont-Ferrand, France

1998-present : Professor Cell Biology & Immunology. Université Blaise Pascal Clermont2, Clermont-Ferrand, France

Research Team leader since 1998.

Adjunct-director of the GReD laboratory since 2008.

Scientific summary

            Infertility in human is a growing concern that has important medical and societal impacts. As an example, in France, each year more than 500.000 couples seek medical assistance because they have trouble to conceive. For the past 10 years or so and, increasing steadily, about 125.000 of these couples enter AMP (Assisted Medical Procreation) programs that lead to an average of 30.000 births per year. Grossly, 1/3 of these infertility cases arise from both male and female problems, 1/3 are solely female-associated and 1/3 are male-associated. Male infertility can be broadly separated into two causes of similar importance, defective testicular spermatogenesis and, defective post-testicular sperm maturation. My research focus is on the latter. Post-testicular sperm maturation is a two-steps process that is first initiated during spermatozoa passage and storage within the epididymis and, then, pursued in the female genital tract prior to fertilization. My investigations are aimed at understanding the key mechanisms that determine the post-testicular acquisition of sperm fertilizing ability within the mammalian epididymis compartment.